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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 T; s. WILES.

DRIER.

No. 314,500. Patented Mar. 24, 1885 N. PETERS. Hwlo-LilMgfi-Aphor. waminm. 0 6.

(No Modell) 3 Shee tsSheet 2* T. s. WILES.

, DRIER. No. 314,500. Patented Mar. 24, 18851.,

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3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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(No Model.)

DRIER.

N0. 314,50Q. Patented Mar. 24, 1885*.

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THOMAS ILES, OF ALBANY, NEW? YORK.

DRlER.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 31%,500, dated March 21-, 1835.

Application filed March 19, 181-34. (No model.)

To all whom, it ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. Wires, a citizen of the United States,residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Driers, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction ofdriers, and although herein setforth and illustrated as adapted for usein laundries, certain novel features herein shown are as well adapted todriers used for any pur pose, and I therefore do not limit my inventionto laundry-driers only.

My invention is herein shown as applied to that class of laundry-drierswhich comprise a series of frames arranged side by side, and supportedin such manner that each frame of the series may be independentlywithdrawn from or moved into a drying room or compartment, which issuitably connected with a system of steam or hotair pipes for thepurpose of maintaining a desired temperature within the compartment.This class of driers has heretofore been constructed almost entirely ofwood, and especially so the front and rear walls, which, by reason ofthe continuous and excessive heat to which the frames are subjected,soon become loosened at the joints and otherwise unfitted for use.

My invention relates more particularly to the drying-frames; and it hasfor its object the production of dryipg-frames which will with stand thehigh heat to which they are sub-.

.jected without injury.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will bespecifically set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of adrying-compartment with one of the frames thereof partially withdrawnand shown in side elevation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of an end wallof the frame in section, taken on the line or 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the upper end, and Fig. 4: is a similar view of thelower end,of the wall. Fig. 5 is a complete section taken on the line itof Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the casting (employed at the lowerend of the wall) inverted. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the castingemployed at the upper end of the wall. Fig. 8 is a perspective of acomplete compartment with one of the frames withdrawn, so that its rearwall is in a common plane with the front walls of the closed frames.Fig. 9 is a perspective of the upper portion of the wood-work of thewall. Fig. 10 is a plan showing a modified construction of the wall, thepanels and cleats being of wood. Fig. 11 is a perspective of a modifiedconstruction in which iron is used exclusively. Figs. 12 and 13 aresections, respectively, on the lineaz and y of Fig. 11. Figs. 14 to 17illustrate different arrangements relatively of the sheet-metal panelsand stiles.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the fig ures.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 8, A represents any suitable room orcompartment, which may be apermanent part of the building, or erected ina permanent part or room of the building. In the compartment A are aseries of dryin g frames B. From the rear wall of the compartment to adistance in front of the front wall thereof equal to or greater than thedepth of the compartment are supported in any suitable manner rails O,the front ends of said rails being supported upon a girder, D, securedin any suitable manner in position, as illustrated in Fig. 8, by meansof a hanger, D, which may be attached to a ceiling of the room in whichthe drier is located. A rail, 0, is pro vided for each of the driers,and, if desired, as will be hereinafter indicated, a floor-rail may bearranged in a manner so that any frame or framesmay be supported at topand bottom by means hereinafter described. Each of the frames comprise afront and a rear wall, E, each constructed like the other, and connectedby the upper and lower tie-bars, e. In this instance I provide what Iconsider an important feature of my invention, a casting, F, at theupper ends of each of the walls E, and a somewhat similar, or it may beidentical, casting, F, at the lower end of each wall. If similar to theupper casting, the lower or floor rail will be employed for a purposehere inafter specified.

The eastingF comprises a main plate, f, having a length equal to thewidth of the wall and of any suitable depth or width, to permit of itsattachment to the rear surface of awall by means of boltsf, passingthrough holesf of the casting. At opposite ends of the plates are lugs fwhich are apertured at f 4 for the passage therethrough of the tie-bars,rods, or pipes e. If desired, these apertures f 4 may be screw-threadedfor the reception of gas-pipe of any suitable size, which may besubstituted for therod e, or said pipe may be passed through saidperforations, and any suitable couplings or nuts be employed to securethe ends of the same in the apertures or to the casting in any mannerwhich would suggest itself to persons skilled in the manufacture ofsimilar structures. The casting F is provided with two brackets, fprojecting more or less, as desired, from its outer face and from itsupper edge for the purpose of providing suitable bearings for thegrooved roller G.

The lower casting,F, is intended to be substantially like the other,except that it has no brackets f thereon, unless it is intended that theframe shall be supported on a ground-rail, either with or without theupper rail, 0. If desired, the brackets may be formed separate from thecasting, and in case of very heavy frames additional supports may beprovided by duplicating the brackets and locating rollers at either orboth ends of the frame at its top, or at its top and bottom, as desired.

By reference to Fig. 9 it will be seen that the end wall,E,is providedwith two slots, e, for the reception of the brackets f and the stiles Eare cut away at the corners, as at a, for the reception of the lugs f. Arabbet or tongue is formed on the longer edges of the wall, so as toproducevertical grooves 6 along the inner surface of the wall after itis inserted into the stiles E of wood, when they are employed. By thisconstruction allowance is made for the expansion and contraction of thestiles and of the wall proper, in that when the walls expand or thestiles contract, or vice versa,the portion cut away forming the grooves6 permits all usual variations in the relative position of the stilesand the main portion of the wall without separating the one from theother. At desired intervals I screw to the walls and stiles cleats 6which may or may not have notches e opposite the grooves 6, into whichthe lower narrower edges of the clothes-bars H rest, as clearly, shownin Fig. 2, and in dotted lines in Fig. 8. If desired, the cleats 6 maybe secured either to the stiles or to the main portion of the wall, andtheir number and the number of the bars may be either increased ordiminished.

In the modification shown in Fig. 10 I dispense with the wooden stiles Eand employ metal stiles, each consisting of ordinary merchantableangle-iron, which is secured to the wall E by bolts 6 passing completelythrough the wall and one flange of each of the angleirons, and to theother flange the tie-rods e are secured in any suitable manner. Thecastings F and F are slightly modified, and are secured at the front ofthe wall and attached to one flange of each of the angle-irons by boltsor {rivets f. If desired, the wall also may be bolted to the casting, asatf Fig. 11.

Any suitable handle may be secured to the front wall of each. frame,whereby it may be withdrawn from the compartment.

When I employ metallic panels I prefer to make them of sheet metal, asillustrated in Figs. 11 to 17, and I form the grooves e by bending thepanel outwardly along its longer sidesfas clearly shown, and secure itto the casting by bolts or rivets f or to the stiles by bolts or rivetsf", the casting being modified to resemble and adapted for connectionwith and conformation to angle-iron. The casting may or may not, asdesired, have end walls, as shown at F Fig. 13, and I may arrange thepanel either outside or inside of the casting andstiles, and the lattermay be arranged to form a substantially flat wall, as in Figs. 11 to 15,or so as to form a sunken panel, as in Fig. 16, and the cleatse may beformed by bolts or rivets passing through the walls of the grooves e",as in Figs. 16 and 17. The grooves 6 may, if desired, be formed ofvertical angleirons secured to the inner surface of a plain ungroovedpanel.

secure frames which will readily withstand the high degree oftemperature to which they are necessarily exposed, and this withoutinjury by long-continued use. The expansion or conally, is limited in agreat measure by the employment of the casting at its upper and lowerends, and the contraction and expansion of the tie-bars e issubstantially uniform at top and bottom, and produces no injury byreason of the loose fit of the bars H,while the structure is as a wholeadapted to also effectually resist diagonal strains and contortions byreason of any weightplaced thereon, any ordinary heat to which it issubject-ed,and any ordinary operation through which it passes in use, soas a whole the structure is firm,serviceable, and practicable.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the exactdetails herein shown and described, but I reserve my right to vary thesame in any manner and to any extent in the manufacture of similarstructures, as I deem myself the first to provide a dryingframe withwalls havingtransverse metallic binding portions, and longitudinalmetallic stiles or binding portions, and the. first to provide eitherone or both of said transverse binders with means whereby it is adaptedto be directly connected with the supporting-rollers of the frame, and Itherefore deem any drier the walls of which are provided with similar ormetallic bindings as comprehended by my invention.

I am aware that it is common to apply metal bars or plates to wooden orother articles to avoid splitting; but in this my invention the castingsF F not only serve the function of preventing the warping of the endwall of By the construction shown and described I" traction of any wall,when taking place laterwhich will suggest itself to any person skilledthe drier-frame, but they are so constructed that they also serve asconnecting means or are provided with apertured lugs or devices to whichI may secure the tie-rods of the frame, thus obviating disadvantageswhich accompany any construction in which the said rods are secured tothe end wall itself or to the panel or stiles thereof, whether theseparts he of metal or wood.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim is- 1. Adrier-frame comprising end walls having transverse castings and metallictie'rods firmly seated in the castings at opposite ends of the frame,whereby the frame as a whole is prevented from warping, substantially asspecified.

2. A drier-frame comprising an end wall and a casting or castingssecured across its end or ends, and metallic tie-rods connected withsaid castings, substantially as specified."

5. A drier-frame, an end wall of which comprises an interiorly-groovedpanel, vertical stilcs,castings secured to the ends ofsaid stiles,cleats secured to the inner surface thereofiboth of said castings beingadapted to receive tiebars, and one or both having brackets for asupporting-roller, substantially as specified.

6. The casting F, provided with perforationsf for attachment to an endwall or panel,lugsf (or their described equivalents) perforated for thereception of tierods and with brackets f substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the panel E,thesti1es E, the upper casting, F,having brackets f and the lower casting, F, these elements beingconnected to each other, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of the vertically-grooved sheet-metal panel E, metalstiles E, cleats c and castings F F, substantially as shown anddescribed. H

9. In a drier-frame, an end wall comprising a panel provided with twovertical grooves formed by rabbeting or shaping its edges, and stilessecured to said edges outside of said grooves, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS S. WILES.

XVitnesses:

EZRA STILLMAN, J OHN RATIGAN.

